Wood grain cabinet



Jan. 16, 1968 J. C. V INGR EN ET AL WOOD GRAIN CABINET Original Filed Sept. 15, 1964 ummnnill llllllllll INVENTORS 7 JOHN c. VINGREN HERBERT .1. ZELLER W b L United States Patent 3,363,956 WOOD GRAIN CABINET John C. Vingren, Medinah, and Herbert J. Zeller, Dundee,

Ill., assignors to Motorola, Inc., Franklin Park, Ill., a

corporation of Illinois Continuation of application Ser. No. 396,492, Sept. 15, 1964. This application May 11, 1967, Ser. No. 637,849

6 Claims. (Cl. 312204) This invention relates to cabinets, and more particularly to a cabinet, such as a television cabinet, having a decorative surface which simulates the natural appearance of wood, and to a method for producing such a cabinet.

This application is continuation of SN. 396,492, filed Sept. 15, 1964, and now abandoned.

Wood surfaces are desirable for many decorative applications, especially with respect to certain types of furniture. For example, television or radio cabinets often have a richer appearance and better complement other furniture in the same room when the cabinets are wood. Wood, however, is generally expensive, takes time to assemble and finish, and requires care in handling to avoid damage. Attempts have heretofore been made to simulate wood surfaces, but these attempts have often proved expensive or artificial in appearance.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a simulated wood surface which is natural in appearance and low in cost.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cabinet having improved and natural appearing simulated wood surfaces and a method for producing the same.

A further object is to provide a low cost, light weight molded plastic cabinet.

A feature of the invention is the provision of a molded cabinet surface having a plurality of elongated grooves therein with the surface having an overlay coat of wood grain finish resulting in a woodgrained three-dimensional surface simulating natural wood.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of a molded surface of a given shade of color and with mutually aligned elongated grooves formed therein during molding to represent wood pores, with the surface excluding the grooves being provided with a coating having elongated areas of contrasting shades extending in the same direction as the grooves and contrasting with the given shade.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a molded plastic television receiver cabinet constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan View of a section of the surface of the cabinet of FIG. 1, which section of surface is shown in the drawing enlarged beyond actual size;

FIG. 4 is a greatly enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of the cabinet illustrating the steps involved in producing a cabinet surface in accordance with the invention; and

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 illustrating a varia tion in the steps of producing a cabinet surface according to the invention.

Generally, the invention involves the production of a decorative molded plastic cabinet which simulates the natural appearance of wood. The cabinet is molded with a plurality of mutually aligned, shallow, elongated grooves to represent Wood pores and the surface, including the grooves, is of a given shade of color. The surface excluding the grooves is then covered with an overlay coat having elongated areas of contrasting shades extending generally in the same direction as the grooves but obliquely thereto to represent wood grain. Such overlay coat may 3,363,956 Patented Jan. 16, 1968 be applied by a roller grain gravure process, the end result being a wood grained three-dimensional surface which is strikingly similar to natural Wood.

In the preferred form the cabinet also includes molded recesses looking like grill Work. The outer surface is then planar to readily receive the decorative coating. The plastic may be dark in color, a first coat extending into the grooves or pores (but not the recesses) may be light in color, and a second coat on the surface exclusive of the pores and recesses may be dark and varied in color forming a grain-like appearance.

In FIG. 1, a television receiver having a unitary molded plastic cabinet with decorative surfaces constructed in accordance with the invention is shown. The invention is particularly advantageous from a cost and consumer appeal standpoint in that molded forms which are substantially low in cost may be given a rich and attractive appearance. The television receiver cabinet 11 is provided with sides 12, a top 13, a bottom 13a, a bezel 14, and a projecting rim 15 surrounding the bezel. The cabinet 11 is molded of a unitary piece of plastic in a single operation and provides a strong low cost cabinet. Supports 16 are molded integral with the cabinet and a recess 17 is provided on one of sides 12 for control knobs 18. Openings are provide-d in the top 13 for control knobs 19, and a recess 2'7 is provided for carrying handle 20. A plurality of grill slots 21 are molded into the top 13 to provide an opening for sound emission from a speaker mounted on the interior of the cabinet.

As previously mentioned, the entire cabinet 11 is molded of a unitary piece of plastic material. As may be seen from FIG. 2, strengthening ribs 22 are provided on the interior of the cabinet to give the cabinet desired rigidity. Further chassis or frame members within the cabinet also add rigidity. In the cabinet shown, the top 13 and sides 12 are provided with decorative surfaces in accordance with the invention. The surfaces of top 13 and sides 12 have a plurality of mutually aligned elongated grooves 23. Grooves 23 are molded into the surface simultaneously with the molding of the cabinet. The plastic may be molded with a color pigment impregnated therein or a color coat may be applied subsequent to molding. This latter step is illustrated in FIG. 4 wherein a base coat 24 has been applied to the molded plastic surface, including grooves 23 of top 13.

The printing of the grain design comprises longitudinally extending areas 31 and 32 of contrasting shades to simulate a natural Wood appearance. The grain design may be printed on the surface by utilizing a metal cylinder having a grain design etched in its surface. The cylinder is coated with an ink and the pattern is trans ferred to the surface to be imprinted by means of a gelatin roller which is first rolled on the metal cylinder to pick up the inked design and then rolled on the surface being imprinted. Such a procedure may be referred to as a roller print or roller transfer process.

In accordance with the invention, a grain design is applied to the highly detailed molded plastic surfaces of the cabinet by means of a roller print process. The design coat is applied to the surfaces exclusive of the grooves 23 therein as illustrated by number 25 in FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. 4 shows the final printed coating applied over a base coat on the plactic, whereas FIG. 5 shows the printed coating applied over a molded plastic surface wherein the color is in the plastic as molded.

In either case the printed design coat 25 is selected to contrast with the color of the plastic surface. For example, a dark base coat may be sprayed on first, or a dark base color molded into the plastic, with a grain of lighter contrasting shades of color roller printed over as coat 25. With this procedure, the grooves 23 remain the darker color for contrast and depth emphasis. On

the other hand, the shading may be reversed if a lighter appearing wood is desired. That is, the base coat or basic color of the plastic may be light color, and the overlay coat roller printed with darker contrasting shades. Thus, for a darker color wood, the grooves 23 will be of the darkest shade with the roller printed grain coating being of two different but lighter shades. On the other hand, a lighter color wood finish would require that the grooves 23 be of the lightest color and the roller printed grain of contrasting darker shades. In the finished product, the grooves 23 simulate the pores of the wood while the roller printed overlay simulates the grain or figure of the wood. Where there are recessed portions of the surface molded into the plastic cabinet, such as illustrated at 17, 21 and 27 in FIG. 1, the plastic may be molded with a dark pigment. This makes such recessed portions less conspicuous, enhancing the overall appearance of the cabinet.

The advantages of such a construction are apparent. In addition to providing an extremely realistic outward appearance simulating the natural appearance of wood, the process is simple and involves a minimum of operations. The cabinet is molded in a unitary piece with the recessed portions 17, 21 and 27 and the grooves 23 molded in the plastic itself. The finishing is a simple procedure which includes the application of a roller printed coating to the surface of the panel exclusive of the recesses, slots and grooves. It may therefore be seen that the invention provides a simulated wood surface which is natural in appearance and low in cost.

We claim:

1. A mold plastic cabinet having top, bottom, sides and front portions, and having a planar exterior surface with recesses molded therein which constitute a variable surface depth to form a grill-like appearance in such surface, said surface further having a pattern of elongated grooves molded therein and being short with respect to the size of said surface, said grooves being generally mutually aligned and of variable length and of a depth small compared to the depth of said recesses to represent pores of wood, a first relatively light decorative coating applied to said planar exterior surface and into said grooves but exclusive of said recesses, and a second relatively dark decorative coating applied to said planar surface exclusive of said recesses and said grooves so that said surface contrasts with said grooves to provide said surface with depth emphasis, said dark decorative coating having a variation in color thereof extending generally obliquely to the direction of said grooves to represent the natural grain of Wood.

2. A molded plastic cabinet having top, bottom, sides and front portions, and having a planar exterior surface with recesses molded therein which constitute a variable surface depth to form a grill-like appearance in such surface, said surface further having a pattern of elongated grooves molded therein and being short with respect to the size of said surface, said grooves being generally mutually aligned and of variable length and of a depth small compared to the depth of said recesses to represent pores of wood, said surface and said grooves having a given shade of color, a decorative coating applied to said planar surface exclusive of said recesses and said grooves which contrasts with said given shade of color so that said grooves causes said surface to have depth emphasis, said coating having elongated areas of varied light and dark color extending generally obliquely to the direction of said grooves to represent the natural grain of wood.

3. A plastic cabinet having top, bottom, sides and front portions, said cabinet being molded of relatively dark color plastic and having a planar exterior surface with recesses therein which constitute a variable surface depth to form a grill-like appearance in such surface, said surface further having a pattern of elongated grooves molded therein and being short with respect to the size of said surface, said grooves being generally mutually aligned and of variable length and of a depth small compared to the depth of said recesses to represent pores of wood, a decorative coating applied to said planar surface exclusive of said recesses and said grooves and having a color which is lighter than and contrasts with the color of said plastic to cause said surface to have depth emphasis, said coating having varying shades of color extending generally obliquely to the direction of said grooves to represent the natural grain of wood.

4. A plastic cabinet having exterior surfaces including a top and a pair of sides having a pattern of grooves molded therein which are short with respect to the size of said top and said sides to represent pores of wood, said grooves being generally mutually aligned and of variable length and of a depth small with respect to the depth of said top and said sides, said top and said sides and said grooves having a given shade of color, a decorative coating applied to said top and said sides and substantially exclusive of said grooves, said coating being of a shade of color to contrast with said given shade of color to cause said grooves to provide depth emphasis for said top and said sides, said coating forming elongated areas of varying light and dark colors extending generally obliquely to the direction of said grooves to represent the natural grain of wood.

5. A molded plastic cabinet having exterior surfaces including a top and a pair of sides having a pattern of grooves molded therein which are short with respect to the size of said top and said sides, said grooves being generally mutually aligned and of variable length and of a depth small with respect to the depth of said top and said sides to represent pores of Wood, a first decorative coating of a given shade of color applied to said top and said sides and extending at least partially within said grooves, a second decorative coating applied to said top and said sides and substantially exclusive of said grooves, said second decorative coating being of a shade of color to contrast With said first decorative coating to cause said grooves to provide depth emphasis for said top and said sides, said coatings forming elongated areas of varying light and dark colors extending generally obliquely to the direction of said grooves to represent the natural grain of wood.

6. The plastic cabinet set forth in claim 5 wherein said first decorative coating is relatively light and said second decorative coating is relatively dark.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,180,516 4/1916 McIndoe 161120 1,773,948 8/1930 Casto 11745 XR 1,947,459 2/1934 Casto 264133 2,248,254 7/ 1941 Small 11745 X 2,446,756 8/ 1948 Geyh 3127 2,482,154 9/1949 Charlton ll745 X 2,832,695 4/1958 Compton et a1. 117-40 CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Primary Examiner.

A. FRANKEL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A MOLD PLASTIC CABINET HAVING TOP, BOTTOM, SIDES AND FRONT PORTIONS, AND HAVING A PLANAR EXTERIOR SURFACE WITH RECESSES MOLDED THEREIN WHICH CONSTITUTE A VARIABLE SURFACE DEPTH TO FORM A GRILL-LIKE APPEARANCE IN SUCH SURFACE, SAID SURFACE FURTHER HAVING A PATTERN OF ELONGATED GROOVES MOLDED THEREIN AND BEING SHORT WITH RESPECT TO THE SIZE OF SAID SURFACE, SAID GROOVES BEING GENERALLY MUTUALLY ALIGNED AND OF VARIABLE LENGTH AND OF A DEPTH SMALL COMPARED TO THE DEPTH OF SAID RECESSES TO REPRESENT PORES OF WOOD, A FIRST RELATIVELY LIGHT DECORATIVE COATING APPLIED TO SAID PLANAR EXTERIOR SURFACE AND 